


Intertwined

by jen_miraculous



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Has a Crush on Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Adrinette | Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Angst, Awkward Romance, Break Up, F/M, Fate, First Dance, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Hawkmoth Defeat, High School, Identity Reveal, Idiots in Love, Ladynoir | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng as Ladybug, Love, Marichat | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Finds Out First, Miraculous Ladybug Love Square, Past Relationship(s), Protectiveness, Red String of Fate, Reverse Crush (Miraculous Ladybug), Romance, Secret Identity, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, power
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:30:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25230133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jen_miraculous/pseuds/jen_miraculous
Summary: After a difficult and one-sided breakup, Ladybug and Chat Noir's relationship shifts from unwavering affection to pure professionalism. Neither of them attempts to reconcile despite their love for one another, and their inaction puts more distance between them as time moves forward. As civilians, Marinette and Adrien are now in their final year at Françoise Dupont High School, and fate partners them together for a school project. The two grow closer, unaware of the other's secret identity, and start to develop feelings for each other. However, Marinette discovers a startling secret that places a wedge between her and Adrien as well.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 6
Kudos: 29





	Intertwined

His smile collapsed.

Chat Noir stared at his Lady, waiting for her to break into laughter and tell him that she was only joking, that she didn't mean it, that she would always love him. Instead, she kept her gaze down and wrapped her arms around her upper body to comfort herself, and her inaction paralyzed him with fear. I'm breaking up with you, he heard her say in his head, over and over again like a torturous record player on repeat. She meant it. He knew she did. A tight knot made of thorns crept its way into his throat, trapping in its claws each word that wanted to rise up to her from his heart and leaving him speechless. The city's lights, once so romantic and ethereal, spun around him in a dizzying spell, and nausea overtook him.

Meanwhile, Ladybug knew she'd crumble if she met his green eyes because there was no doubt the glowing life in them had simmered into panic at her statement. At their altitude, the wind snuck around them like frozen snakes, and tonight, it seemed this reptilic coldness slithered into their spines and locked them into place the moment the acidic words left her lips. After a brief period of stunned silence, he stepped forward, hesitant.

"Ladybug." The broken tremor in his voice triggered a wave of tears that threatened to spill, but she blinked them away, determined to stay strong in his presence. When he placed his hands on her shoulders, she resisted the instinct to fall into his arms to hide her face in the comforting darkness of his neck. If she succumbed now, she would never be able to end their relationship, and she needed to do this. For him. For herself.

When her body tensed underneath his touch, a volatile vortex crashed around in his chest. His hands slid down to wrists, and he squeezed them, trying to get a reaction out of her. Anything. Something real. A flicker of regret or hope, a twitch in the corner of her lips, a wince in her expression, but nothing surfaced. 

"Milady," he called again, growing desperate. "I don't understand. You love me. I know you do"

"I can't do this," she replied, and the weight of her tone pressed down on him like a sheet of hail. "We can't."

"Do what? Us?"

She took a step backward, letting his empty hands fall to his sides. "I've thought about this for a long time, Chat Noir. I'm not going to change my mind." He never thought the sound of his own name would prick a thousand needles into his skin. Ever since they started dating, she always referred to him as "Chaton" or "Kitty" or "Minou."

"Thought about what? What is there to think about? We're perfect together."

She shook her head, and it felt like an anchor was attached to her neck. "I've been selfish."

"What do you mean?"

"I've let myself indulge in you, knowing that we can't reveal our identities because we haven't defeated Hawkmoth. If someone finds out we're dating, he'll use that to his advantage, and he might hurt us. He might hurt you. What then? Every day that I'm with you, I put you at risk."

His ears drooped. "But there's always been that risk."

"Yes, but we've been so careless lately. In particular, you've been careless." 

Irritation flashed across his face at her accusation, replacing the previous hurt. "Me?"

"Yes! That reporter girl almost found you kissing me seconds after we left the scene of an Akuma attack. If she had seen us, she would've posted that all over the Ladyblog. That's the third time this month that someone's almost caught us!" Each time, they had barely managed to feign normalcy between them, and the difference between a few seconds could mean their downfall if they continued.

"I didn't know she had followed us. That's not my fault."

"It's still reckless. You shouldn't have done that, and I shouldn't have let you. It's just as much my fault as it is yours, and we need to be more responsible. People's lives depend on us. We've also been less focused on Akumas because we're so focused on each other. We get hurt much more often trying to protect each other rather than ourselves, and we can't do that anymore. This is exactly what I was afraid would happen if we started dating."

Her hypocrisy seeped underneath his skin and heated the blood in his veins. "If I recall correctly, you're the one that kissed me a year ago. " She clenched her jaw and turned her face to the side, letting his acidic vexation rouge her cheeks with fervor. He was right. Once her feelings for Adrien disappeared, nothing stood between her and Chat Noir's charm. On the same rooftop on which they stood now, she had kissed him for the first time, launching a prolific, but more importantly, vulnerable relationship. 

"I know that, and I'm sorry. But-"

"We're only dating because you wanted to. I had always given you the choice to say no, and now I'm beginning to wish you had. If you were so unsure, why did you let this happen?" he asked, gesturing to them.

"Because I wasn't thinking! I can't think around you!" Her voice cracked, alarming him, but she continued. "Being in a relationship puts the two of us in a dangerous situation. As the Guardian of the Miraculous, I need to be more careful. This goes beyond us. Besides that, I think it's just as unfair to us that we can't know each other's identity. I hate to say it like this, but we don't know each other enough." Offense painted his face.

"What are you talking about? Of course, we do. I've known you for three years, and you're my best friend."

Ladybug resented the words that would escape her mouth. "Really? When is my birthday? Where do I go to school? What are my friends like?"

He stiffened. She had him cornered, and he couldn't scramble out of this. "Don't do this."

"How old am I? What do I really look like?" 

"Stop it."

"What's my name?" The question hung thick in the air, and Chat Noir's every neuron burst with overwhelming frustration.

"I don't know! How am I supposed to? We can't know anything about the other's civilian life! I would love to know all of those things, but I don't want to put you in danger."

"Okay, so then you see my point!" she said, the wall between them growing taller. "We can't be two halves of the same whole if we only know half of each other's whole. We have entire lives outside of our Miraculous. We don't know each other as much as we wish we did."

"So what? So what if I don't know those details? I know you, and I love you. You're strong and funny and brave. I love you more than anything, and I mean that with every beat of my heart, Milady. I'll do better, and I'll be more careful. I promise. Just don't leave me," he begged. He took another step forward and reached for her, his thumbs stroking the top of her hands. Ladybug refused to meet his eyes, and Chat Noir knew he was losing her. The seconds passed and dwindled the hope in his heart into desolation. "Why aren't you saying anything?"

"I also need time to myself," she admitted.

"Time to do what?"

She shut her eyes. "I can't tell you because it would mean telling you about my real life. I'm overwhelmed as Ladybug and as a civilian, and I don't think I'm in a good place for a relationship right now. My mental health is on the verge of collapsing, so I need this. You have to understand that."

"But I need you," he whimpered, and she ignored the sniffles that invaded her ears. The sound pierced through her like daggers. "I'll be here for you. You don't need to compromise your identity for me to help you. Please reconsider this. I don't want to lose you."

"You won't lose me. I'll always be your partner."

He let go of my hands and took an abrupt step back. "No. You're not listening to me. Y-you're being selfish."

His words melted like lava against her, sending a fiery pain through her body, but she tried to calm down before getting defensive. "I wouldn't do this if I didn't think it would be good for the two of us. You deserve someone who won't endanger you. Someone with whom you can share your civilian life. Your real life."

"Why do you keep calling it our 'real life?' This is our reality! We're superheroes. It's not like I can tell the people in my life that I'm Chat Noir half the time! Have you considered that?"

"Have you considered that we were our civilian forms before we received our Miraculous and will be after we defeat Hawkmoth? That's our reality."

He threw his hands in the air. "So what is this? What am I to you? Fantasy?"

"You know that's not what I meant."

"That's what it sounds like."

"Chat-"

"You're the only person with whom I can share this experience. You know that. With anyone else, it would feel incomplete."

Deep down, she knew that, too. She bit the inside of her mouth to keep from crying, and when she regained her composure, she took a deep sigh. "This is complete for you? Not knowing about the rest of my life? Not being able to tell me about yours? This feels complete?"

"Why can't it be?"

"Chat, answer the question."

He couldn't. He knew it wasn't complete, and he didn't want to admit that to her. He knew he loved her, but she was right in that they only knew each other in the context of their superhero lives. Even so, that wasn't either of their faults, and it didn't negate the validity of his feelings for her. He couldn't live without her, and now she wanted to throw all of that away because of the possibility of a disaster with Hawkmoth that might not even happen? He stared at her hard, and she squirmed beneath his scrutiny. "It doesn't matter. You're enough for me the way you are."

She exhaled, exasperated by his stubbornness. "You're missing the point."

"I just can't believe you right now," he said, and though he didn't intend to hurt her, he noticed her flinch in response. "I can't believe you want to forget about us. I wouldn't be reacting this way if you hadn't given me hope for a year. Right now, we'd probably be saying 'pound it,' and then heading home, and I wouldn't be heartbroken."

She paused. "I'm sorry," she murmured, and he knew she meant it, which only made him feel more conflicted. He wanted outrage to consume him, but all he felt was a dull ache in every crevice of every bone in his body. "I'm sorry for being selfish. I didn't mean to hurt you." The last few rays of from the sunset had melted away into the night, leaving the two of them cloaked in the darkness. She turned around to leave.

"Wait! We'll be okay," he promised her, his breathing quickening.

"No, Chat. There's too much at stake. I'm sorry."

"No, no, no. Don't go!" When she turned to reject him, she caught a glimpse of the tears streaming from the corners of his eyes. "Please. We can make this work. Hawkmoth won't find out. Nobody will find out-"

"I said I'm not changing my mind. We're partners from now on. I'm doing this for us, and I'm sorry if you can't understand that right now."

She tried leaving once more, but he pounced in front of her, startling her. He towered over her. "You're only thinking about yourself! This isn't at all what I want, and you won't even bother listening to me! You're not even trying!"

Her nostrils flared at his audacity. "Don't you dare imply that I don't care about you. I'm doing this because I do, and you don't see past your own poor judgment."

"Then why are you doing this to me?" he croaked, drawing their hands to his chest and pressing his lips to her knuckles while his cheeks glistened with moisture. He was unraveling before her, and the sight nearly killed her.

"Because I love you." She allowed herself the greedy comfort of resting her head against her chest, and he placed his on top of hers. Why was she tormenting the two of them further?

"You're making a mistake."

"No. I'm not," she said, pulling away from him. She met his green eyes. "It's over, Chat Noir."

"It's not! Please-"

"I'm leaving. Please go home and get some rest. Goodnight." She brushed past him, but he caught her by her shoulders and whirled her to face him once more. "Chat! Let go-"

"Claws off!" A yelp escaped her lips as a bright flash of green blinded her, and she forced her eyes shut at the light to shield herself from his attempted revelation. Her heart thumped so hard against her chest that her ribs felt sore from the pressure, and her entire body fell victim to a cold sweat. When he touched her, she almost jumped.

"What are the hell are you doing? Are you crazy?" asked a familiar voice. Plagg. His presence confirmed Chat Noir's transformation, and Ladybug felt faint.

"I don't need you chastising me right now," replied Chat Noir. His voice was tight, and something about hearing it from his civilian form made her chest stir. "Come back in five minutes."

"Plagg, don't leave," she begged, horrified by the situation. Before he could respond, she felt unclawed hands wrap around her, and her breathing hitched.

"We don't have to keep secrets from each other," Chat Noir said. "We don't have to hide the other half of ourselves, Ladybug. I'll tell you who I am. We can defeat Hawkmoth. Together. Can you look at me?"

Blood pounded in her ears from her anxiety, and she could barely hear him. "What? Do you realize what you're asking me? Did you not hear a single word I said?" 

"Kid, leave her alone. She's clearly distressed," Plagg tried, but my partner ignored him.

"I want you to know who I am. I want you to trust me wholly. Not just as Chat Noir, but for who I am."

Fury raged inside of her at his insensitivity. "How dare you do this to me? How dare you put me in this position? You know how important it is to me to keep our identities a secret, and yet you do this, proving to me that my feelings don't matter to you." She found herself sniffling, overwhelmed with emotion, and she wiped away her tears. Even though she couldn't see him, she knew he didn't expect that reaction from her. "Do you think this is a game? We've forgotten our roles, and I'm sure Master Fu would be disappointed in us for being this carefree when we have so much on the line. Our love can't save Paris. We need to do better for them and for ourselves. We-"

A pair of soft, warm lips interrupted her. Somehow, this kiss felt much more dulcet than it ever had before, and every neural pathway in her brain fizzled away into nothingness. Before she could process it, he leaned away, and she had to stop herself from opening her eyes and finding the face beneath the mask of the boy with whom she had fallen in love. For a moment, neither of them said anything. Plagg must have been shocked because he remained silent, too. At last, Chat Noir took a deep breath.

"I've kissed you with each half of my identity. I don't know how much more real I can be for you."

Ladybug trembled, though she wasn't sure if was due to the low temperature or his delicate voice. It would be so easy to dismiss everything she had said thus far, to ignore logic and reason, to return to his embrace.

But if choosing easiness meant putting him in harm's way, she could not do it.

She stepped past him, extending her hands to make sure he wasn't standing in front of her anymore. When she opened her eyes, she saw the vast, open Paris sky from the rooftops, and she sighed in relief. Behind her, his breath grew more ragged and unstable, realizing that nothing would convince her to stay. "I'm sorry, Chaton. I hope you can forgive me one day."


End file.
